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Monmouth receives nearly $1 million in federal money to replace lead service lines

The city currently has 2,000 lead service lines, which serve more than half of its water customers.

MONMOUTH, Ill. — The city of Monmouth is receiving nearly $1 million in Community Project Funding to help replace its lead service lines. Those are the pipes connecting the water main to a building's internal plumbing.

There are 2,000 lead service lines in Monmouth that need to be replaced. Mayor Rod Davies said it'll cost about $10 million to replace all of them.

One of the homeowners with lead lines is Vicki Young. She bought her 140-year-old home 20 years ago and found out about the lead lines soon after.

"So consequently I've been buying bottled water for the last 20 years," Young said. "When I cook, if the water is going into the food, it’s gotta be bottled water. If it’s going to be surrounding the food, like cooking macaroni or something like that, then I’ll use tap water, but I try and be very discretionary about the use of tap water."

But in a few years, Young might not have to make that choice. Rep. Eric Sorensen, D-Illinois, announced the federal tax money coming to Monmouth on Thursday, May 30.

"This will help us jump-start into Phase One, where we start working on getting those some of those homes that are in really critical neighborhoods," Davies said. 

He said the money won't replace all of Monmouth's lead service lines, but it'll help the town work through facilities like schools, nursing homes and hospitals. Then eventually, they'll reach homes like Young's.

The first phase of Monmouth's replacement plan includes those facilities and homes on the southern end of town. 

"We have about 15 years or so to meet this requirement, so hopefully sooner than later we'll get it done," Davies said.

He said the city is applying for more grants, and it still needs $9 million to replace all 2,000 lead service lines. The city has already replaced 40 lines downtown and in homes with water main issues.

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